5 questions with Aggie QB Chuckie Keeton

After throwing for more than 3,300 yards and 27 touchdowns while leading Utah State to an 11-2 record and a bowl victory, quarterback Chuckie Keeton is the undisputed leader of the Aggies as they begin spring camp. He sat down with the Deseret News after Utah State’s first scrimmage of spring to talk about all things Utah State football.

What parts of your game are you working on this spring?

“One thing I’m trying to improve on is my command of the offense because I have new faces all around me. That’s never going to change in college football. I have to be able to get my guys into the right spot. I have to be able to find my playmakers. Last year, two of the biggest ones were Matt Austin and Kerwynn Williams. We need at least two more guys to step into those positions. I think we have the right guys to do it; we just have to find out who that is."

What can you do to help define those playmakers?

“It has to be done on the field. I have a close connection with most of the guys on the team and especially on the offense. That’s not an issue at all. I can look at film and see what matchups work best for me on certain routes and take them whenever I can. One will always be Joe Hill on a linebacker. No matter who it is, Joe Hill can out athleticize — if that’s a word — anyone.”

What’s it like having your former QB coach Matt Wells as the new head coach?

“It is definitely the same feel overall, just different faces. That is all it is. It's a different experience. I know personally, coach (Matt) Wells and coach (Kevin) McGiven are two different people. What coach Wells had as a quarterback coach as far as excitement and intensity, coach McGiven comes back with a little bit more composure, which is something I like because I kind of like being as calm as I can. He (Kevin McGiven) comes with a lot of knowledge. He is a very smart coach and he has definitely passed on a lot so far these first two weeks.”

What have you been doing over the winter to prepare for spring ball and next season?

“It’s been a lot of film work. I broke down every game from last season and even though it took a lot of time I found a lot of things I can improve on. Not only fundamentals but mental decisions, different looks I’m going to see in the future. It is kind of a difficult thing with moving into a new conference, so this summer I’m going to have to do a lot more to find out the basics of each team.”

Last year the team competed was big into Call of Duty video game as a way to relax. What is everyone doing for fun away from the field this year?

“It’s kind of sad, but we all play Clash of Clans. There are only two clans in the locker room right now. There is my locker corner and a few other guys in my clan and there is another clan in the locker room somewhere else, who I’m not associating with (laughs). It’s an Apple game, so we are on our iPads all the time. It’s kind of addicting.”

Kraig Williams is a 2010 Utah State University graduate and regular Deseret News sports blogger. He can be followed on Twitter @DesNewsKraig.